Electric Love
by ArtisteFish
Summary: A collection of oneshot stories focused on Ataru and Lum's electrifying relationship, ranging from canon to off-canon to au and everything in-between!
1. Jungle Fever

~Electric Love: A Collection of Ataru and Lum Stories~

Story One: Jungle Fever

* * *

Ataru's lungs ached as he raced through the muggy jungle, shoving the swaying stalks of plants out of his way as he searched desperately for another flash of lightning. Fallen palm frawns cut into his bare feet as he ran, but there had been no time for shoes – as soon as Perm's sheepish whisper had met his ears, the thumping beat of his heart and angry flush of blood were all his body could feel.

"She's not here. Megane asked her to come with him for something. I dunno man, he didn't even tell us about it, but I'm worried. You know how he gets."

He didn't need to hear more: everyone in class knew that Megane's idol-worship of Lum had gone past rational years ago, and even Kakugari and Chibi were just following him now out of fear. Ataru often wondered why Perm bothered to hang with the Stormtroopers at all; everyone knew he was dating outside their class.

Perm had shouted something after him as he ran out of the fancy hotel buffet room and out into the sea of palm trees turned black by the sunset – something about Mendou and getting a search party going, but Ataru didn't have time for that. By the time Mendou got over chewing him out for letting Lum go off with a creep like Megane, said creep could've done who-knows-what to the alien girl. 'Not that she's helpless' he reasoned, trying to assure himself more than anything, 'but she's too trusting. And Megane can get pretty scary when he's got something to prove." Fear drove him forward, towards the direction where he was sure he'd seen lightning not five minutes ago. Either she was there and had already dealt with the psycho in her electrifying way, or she'd been there… and she'd been in enough trouble to lash out with an attack.

The island jungle stretched on and on before him, and Ataru swore he'd get back at Mendou later for dragging their whole class to such a deserted location. Of course the young billionaire had claimed they'd be perfectly safe, of course he had lavished every attention and amenity on the beautiful Lum until even she was rolling her eyes at him… but it was a big island, and Mendou was only one man. With so many other students to take care of and a dense forest of palms and unexplored terrain surrounding their hotel, it'd been easy for Megane to slip away unnoticed, even _with_ the green-haired Oni-girl.

Ataru was fuming now, at Mendou, at Megane, at Perm… at himself. If he hadn't been flirting with Ryuu-chan, if he hadn't been following Sakura-san around the buffet table, if only he'd been giving Lum that devoted attention she'd been silently begging for all night…. He'd been trying so hard lately too. He'd been doing so much better at putting her first, and thinking only of her, but with so many of his lovely schoolmates in swimsuits and all cramped in one building and one beach and one island for several days, well… he'd gone a little stir-crazy, and his self-control had slipped just enough for him to lose track of the girl that mattered more than any of them.

"Dammit… LUM!" His voice shook as he shouted into the growing darkness, and he huffed as his lungs greedily pulled in more air to try again. "LUM!" He shouted louder this time, tripping over a cluster of jungle vegetation, the serrated edges scratching up his legs as he did. Ataru stumbled into a crouch, doubled over as he tried to catch his breath enough to shout again. He couldn't stop searching for her – he couldn't let her down again. Each breath was a wheezing gasp now as he struggled to get air back into protesting lungs, his muscles seizing painfully after he'd pushed them to such a harsh extent, but he was already drawing in breath for another shout of her name when he felt something: static.

There was electricity in the air.

He sat up, searching through the dark shadows of the trees surrounding him for some other sign of her, and he only caught a quick flash of movement, the shimmer of green tinged red in the light of the dying sun, before he was knocked over by the weight of her.

Slender arms squeezed him painfully tight, her face burrowing against his shoulder and horns poking into his cheek, but he ignored the slight discomfort and grasped her just as tightly. "Lum… Lum!" He whispered her name over and over, unable to say anything else in his relief, but that relief soon melted back into worry when he noticed she wasn't responding. Pulling back slightly, he noticed her eyes scrunched up tight, and the erratic breaths that escaped her clenched teeth: she was hyperventilating, trying not to cry, and Ataru felt worse than ever.

"Oi, Lum, it's okay now, I've got you. C'mon, you gotta breathe. Breathe with me, Lum." Extracting a hand from around his neck, Ataru placed her fingers against the thin cotton shirt over his chest, holding it in place as he took deep breaths and prompted her to do the same. It took some coaxing, but eventually she calmed enough to give him a grateful smile. "Thanks Darling."

Those big blue eyes and that pretty pink smile almost did him in, but he pulled it together enough to frown down at the girl in his arms. "Don't think I'm lettin' you off the hook Lum! Just what were you thinking, going off alone with-"

"LUM-SAN!"

They froze, hardly daring to breathe as the somewhat hoarse cry repeated not far away in the jungle. Ataru could feel Lum shaking against him, and he bit his tongue on the rest of the scolding he'd planned. First things first: that bastard was gonna get it.

He stood, pulling the Oni-girl to her feet, and in the dying light he was finally able to see the state of her: the stylish yellow sundress she'd donned for the evening party was stained with mud and torn at the hem, and a few of the top buttons were missing to reveal a pop of pink from her swimsuit underneath. There were scratches on her cheeks, and Ataru guessed they'd come from a race through rough jungle foliage as she'd rushed to escape –

"LUM-SAN! Where are you hiding?"

Terrified eyes met his, and Ataru knew at once: an electric shock wouldn't be enough this time. Megane called out again, and a faint haze of blue surrounded the alien girl as electricity built within her body, but Ataru looked her way and silently shook his head. He jerked his thumb toward the trees behind him, and although Lum looked ready to protest at first, another cry of her name from the trees close by sent her diving for cover. Ataru breathed a sigh of relief as her yellow dress vanished in the shadows, and it was none too soon as Megane stumbled through the tall ferns in front of him. The tall young man was breathing hard, sweat dripping down his square jaw as he adjusted his glasses and glanced about, eyes eventually falling and narrowing on Ataru.

"Ah, Ataru," he began, straightening up to fold his arms across his unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, "Have you come to admit defeat?"

Despite the rage bubbling up at the sight of his classmate, Ataru bit down the feeling and sized up the situation. He'd been unlucky all his life, but being prone to disaster had the fortunate side effect of making him more cautious. They didn't need to fight this out just yet. "Come again Megane? You get hit in the head by a coconut or something? Because I don't have a clue what you're on about."

Megane sneered, the sweat on his brow shining in the last rays of sunlight peering between the palm tree stalks. "Oh really? So you didn't come out here to try and stop Lum and I from finally declaring our love for each other?"

Something in Ataru snapped up at that, something raw and ugly and dangerous, but he pushed it away to say with a false laugh "Why the heck would I waste my time trying to stop something that couldn't happen? You know Lum doesn't love you. Honestly, I don't think she even likes you!" He watched in vicious satisfaction as Megane gaped like a toad, his hands shaking and clenching and motioning as though he'd like to strangle Ataru – which Ataru didn't doubt. Megane however wasn't ready to give up or give in.

"And you think she loves you?!" He spat, pointing accusingly at the young man still sitting among the fallen palm frawns. Giving an ugly laugh, Megane continued "She was so eager to leave that party – you should've seen how mad she was when you ignored her to chase after every other girl in the room. But you wouldn't have seen, would you? How 'bout it, Ataru? How long was it before you realized she'd left?"

The boiling anger was back, and Ataru couldn't even try to hide his glare anymore. Megane's words stung… they were too close to being true. Lum deserved better than him and he knew it.

But "better than him" sure as _hell_ wasn't Megane.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" he answered, rising to his feet and standing tall in his dirtied shorts and scratched skin. "And where's Lum, huh? If she was so happy to leave with you, how come you're running around the whole island like a moron shouting for her to come back?"

Megane gave him a piercing look, but then his back straightened, and an expression of noble sorrow washed over him. "I was too ardent for her. She, being so innocent and pure, wasn't ready to receive my love, and ran off in maidenly embarrassment." His voice turned deep and tragic as he added with impassioned flourish "She's just waiting for me to find her now and show her the depths of my love!"

A high growl rose up behind Ataru, and he turned panicked to see Lum emerge from her hiding spot, already sparking with anger even as she huddled nervously away from the other boy. "That's not what happened at all! You said you had a surprise for Darling, but then you kept dragging me further and further away, and you wouldn't stop talking and it confused the heck outta me, and then you were trying to take a kiss and get my clothes off before I could realize you'd stopped yammering!" She was shrieking by the end, lost in her anger and frustration, and Ataru was afraid she'd start hyperventilating again any minute. Megane wasn't listening to a word of it, unable and unwilling to tear his eyes away from her butterfly lips or the heaving of her half-exposed chest.

Ataru had heard more than enough. Stepping boldly between Megane and the girl he'd been focused on, the young man cracked his knuckles and said darkly "You messed with the wrong girl, Man. You better stay away from my wife from now on, or else." He ignored the excited gasp from the girl floating behind him, still glaring up at his opponent who gave him a bored, dismissive glance as he adjusted his glasses with a prominent middle finger.

"Or else what?"

Ataru didn't bother to respond. He just reared back, and shot his fist forward with all the strength he had, right at the bridge of the bastard's nose. The rectangular glasses snapped in half, Ataru grimaced at the pain of his knuckle bones shifting and bruising, and Megane crumpled back to the ground with a shrill wail of pain as he clutched at his red nose which was just starting to drip blood. He whimpered on the jungle floor, and though Ataru didn't have a shred of sympathy left, he'd let Mendou know when they got back so the medics could deal with the mess.

Shaking the ache from his hand, Ataru turned to lead Lum back towards the bright lights of the hotel – but was stopped as slender arms wound around his shoulders from behind and a warm cheek pressed up against his. "Thank you Darling" she cooed, nuzzling against him and pressing a kiss to his jaw. "Thank you for searching for me." He flushed, not only at the affectionate contact but at her words, and he swallowed thickly before answering "L-Lum, I…."

He turned slightly to look at her, barely able to see her face in the dim light but still able to look into those captivating blue eyes, and continued "I'll never let anyone hurt you Lum. Promise." Those big eyes went wide, her sweet lips forming an 'oh' of surprise, but as he didn't back down from his words or take them back, those eyes became watery, and a smile spread across her face as she leaned in for another hug. Ataru looked down at the arms encircling him, his own hands rising to lay softly over hers. Nothing would happen like this again. He wouldn't neglect her again; he wouldn't abandon her devotion to him anymore. He couldn't afford to. 'No one will hurt you again, Lum. Not even me.'

* * *

*Author's Note:

So this was written in response to a Tumblr prompt asking for jealous/protective Ataru, and it just so happened I'd been wanting to write something where Megane gets what's coming to him, thus this was born. Though obviously Megane deserves much worse. In the anime he is haaaaaaardcore creeper status and also needs to leave my boy Ataru alone. Anyways, hopefully I'll have some more Urusei Yatsura specific stories in the future! I friggin love this series and it needs WAY more fan content. Especially fanfics. It's a little sparse.


	2. Errand-boy

~Electric Love: A Collection of Ataru and Lum Stories~

Story Two: Errand-boy

*Based on Mendou's post-apocalyptic dream world in "Lum The Forever"

* * *

Stumbling through the trash covered streets, Ataru saw the briefest glimpse of ocean-green disappear around a far corner. He grit his teeth, pushing his tired legs onward until he'd rounded the building and saw the swish of white fabric in the distance. "Aw c'mon!" Arms pumping and feet aching, Ataru cursed his employer in his head as he once again lost sight of his quarry. Just what was it about this girl that had 'The Great Shutaro' in such a funk? It wasn't like he didn't have enough brides as it was!

A frustrated huff left the young man's lips as he turned his head this way and that trying to find where the mystery girl had run off to. His mind flittered briefly to the thought that this girl was behaving in the oddest way: in all his years under Mendou's employ, he'd never met a girl who didn't swoon on the spot over the wealthy fighter. The idea that a girl would not only avoid, but actively run from the city's heart-throb was not only ridiculous, but completely unheard of. Ataru had seen girls 'playing hard to get' to gain Shutaro's interest – this was on another level altogether. Not that it mattered; once Shutaro had set his mind to something, there was no dissuading him. And for Ataru, that meant he'd be out of a job if he didn't catch up to the green-haired nymph and convince her to become wife number thirty-four to the retired fighter.

His breath came in heavy pants, but he didn't dare stop for fear of losing the mystery girl's trail. Readjusting his cap so it wouldn't fly off, he raced through the neon-lit city streets overshadowed by crumbling ruins of the metropolis. The city-wide speakers announced curfew, and Ataru bit back a growl. He had to find her and fast, or he'd be locked in this sector until dawn. A few unconcerned residents still loitered by the food stands, but Ataru breezed past them as a flash of long white-clad legs registered in his peripheral. Following it led him to a fenced off reservoir lined by a narrow alley – and there she was. Allowing himself a moment to breathe, Ataru watched as she stood silently at the dead-end of the alleyway, her back to him and green hair glistening in the false lights surrounding them in the night.

Swallowing and straightening his cap, Ataru approached the girl on careful feet, trying his hardest not to spook her. The last thing he needed now was her pulling a magic trick and running away again! She stayed perfectly still as he crept closer and closer, an obvious tension in her shoulders as he closed in. A wave of sympathy swept over the young man, and he cleared his throat before saying in a kind, hesitant voice, "Hey there miss." His hand stretched out in a friendly gesture, suddenly wanting to reassure the girl he'd been chasing around the backstreets of the city. The moment his hand met her bare shoulder, she whirled… and Ataru was stunned by a wide gaze of the brightest blue he'd ever seen in his life.

His jaw dropped at those shining eyes, set in a heart-shaped face and framed by waves of seafoam. It was no wonder his master was so enamored of the girl: she was beautiful! No, not just beautiful, but gorgeous, striking… ethereal. There was something so otherworldly about her that Ataru wouldn't have been surprised to see her suddenly sprout wings and fly off. He knew better than to flirt with a girl once Shutaro took interest in her, but… damn was it tempting!

Snapping out of his stupor, Ataru realized the girl hadn't sprouted wings or disappeared into the night. She was still and silent, and staring at him expectantly. He watched as her berry-blue eyes scanned him from head to toe, and his mind boggled at the small smile that twitched her lovely bow lips. He wasn't sure what he'd done, but somehow he'd calmed her unease. In spite of her apparent comfort, Ataru couldn't beat back a sudden flutter of nerves. What was he supposed to say now?

"Uh, miss… I've come to tell you –"

"I'm glad you weren't the other man." Her voice was like honeyed lemon tea, slipping past Ataru's defenses and warming him from the inside out. It was a moment before he could move past the sound and actually understand what it was she'd said to him.

"Wh-what? Whaddaya mean? What other man?" The smile spread further across her face, and Ataru smiled in response without realizing.

"The black-haired one" she said softly, and Ataru nearly melted at the sound. "The one always surrounded by cameras and women. I've seen him watching me before." That frightened glimmer was back in her eyes, confusing the man before her more than ever. "I thought you were him… so I ran."

Gaping, unable to believe that a girl could be so desperate to escape the mighty Shutaro, Ataru wracked his brain for some kind of response. "But… why aren't you running from _me_?"

She laughed, and Ataru's confusion deepened. "Because you're not him!" Leaning back against the brick wall of the alley, the mystery girl regarded him beneath long dark lashes and added in a sultry voice "Even though you chased me… I'm not afraid of you. I like you."

His eyes flew wide, a surprising warmness springing onto his cheeks. "But you don't even know me!" He took a step closer to her without a second thought, her blue eyes drawing him closer. "No one knows me. I'm a nobody! I mean…" he faltered, searching for some way to make this beautiful girl understand that she definitely, undeniably, could not like someone like him! He was just the errand-boy!

"I don't care" she replied, stepping closer to him as well. He jumped slightly when small hands skimmed up his arms to settle on his shoulders. She pressed closer to him still, sending a buzz through his whole body as their clothing brushed. "I think you're kind… and cute too!"

It was useless now, trying to keep the silly grin from his face. Was this really happening? Was this green-haired angel turning down the famed Shutaro for his lowly assistant? … Was he dreaming? "This is unreal…" he whispered, though not low enough to escape the ears of the beauty staring dreamily up at him.

"What's so strange about it?" She answered back, giggling slightly. "You're the one who chased me. What were you planning to do if you caught me?"

He was speechless, unable to even fake an answer. What indeed? He'd planned to beg her to marry his arrogant employer… but with the way her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, and the warmth of her frail hands on his shoulders… there was no way in hell he'd be handing her over to be part of the Mendou horde.

Ataru was saved from answering by the sudden beeping of warning alarms over the city intercom: curfew had come. And now they were stuck.

Biting his tongue, Ataru looked down at the mystery girl and offered a shaky smile. He hoped her home was in this sector; if not, they were in for a long night. "Care for some food? I spotted a ramen stand back there. My treat!"

She looked puzzled for a moment, as though she had expected something else, but after a moment her head dipped in a nod. Ataru turned away from her, hoping she'd catch his hint and follow, but he stopped with a gasp as a thin hand grasped one of his. Even when he turned to meet her bold gaze, she didn't let go.

"My name is Lum" she said, and stepped up to walk beside him. Shaking off his stupor, he managed to reply without stuttering "Moroboshi Ataru." She hummed, squeezing his hand a little tighter.

"Ataru…" Lum mused, her blue eyes hooded as she regarded the gritty street beneath them. "I like it. And I like you."

He couldn't respond, and she didn't seem to need a response. Curling his fingers ever so slightly around hers, Ataru silenced the little voice in the back of his head that sounded an awful lot like and angry Shutaro, and guided the green-haired girl out of the alley.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Urusei Yatsura Movie 4 is probably my favorite of all the UY movies, on terms of aesthetic and bizzareness alone. The dream world sequences are some of my favorite moments, and I love love LOVE the idea of taking those dreams and expanding them into their own au worlds - with the very important exception that Lum is her normal self and is just as obsessed with Ataru as ever. I'm hoping to write a little oneshot based on Shinobu's dream at some point too, following along this same vein!


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